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Avatars and Avadhootas

Q:What is the hierarchical difference between an ascended master, a saint, and an avatar? Are they moving in separate ways to get to a path, or is one above the other? How do they function?

A:

It’s quite a broad categorization and not always easy to tell one designation from the other.

Numerous beings exist, operating in various levels. Similarly to the way we have school teachers for various classes, we have various beings performing at various levels. Broadly, we can say they are all ascended masters.

Avatars happen based only on collective consciousness. They don’t make the choice of their birth. It is when a generation or a few generations crave intensely for redemption that an avatar happens. They descend for a specific duration and for a purpose or duty, then achieve that purpose and dissolve. Usually there’s no associated karma – they appear only for the sake of dharma or truthful duty. Lord Krishna, Lord Dattatreya, Jesus, and Adi Shankara may be considered avatars. They were all renunciates and saints as well.

Now many people calling themselves avatars have no real eligibility. Perhaps they adopted that label because they liked the sound of the word! (laughter). Likewise, titles given to saints are of no value either, unless it came upon them naturally. Today however, titles are chosen and used for marketing purposes.

Ascended masters operate in higher subtle dimensions. They operate as guides, helping gross seekers to evolve to higher dimensions. Some have a bodily existence and some do not, but the essential function is the same. They may transfer thoughts and guide people. They may also contact directly and speak. However, technically, embodied and disembodied masters function the same way. They choose their life span or duration – how long they are going to be on the earthly plane is up to them, and they also choose the dimension of operation. They have this choice because they are not bound by the body.

Babaji is a multi-dimensional master – the operating level is not only just on Earth.

Now saints are basically renunciates – they have renounced a certain lifestyle, opting for spirituality and detaching from mainstream life. Any seeker can be termed a saint, and a saint need not necessarily be enlightened. There are various levels here too, just like school teachers. There are those who opt to become teachers of philosophical knowledge. The garb of the ochre robe, shaved head, long hair etc are all choices they make depending on the path or order they want to follow. They follow a certain discipline for a particular duration in the mode of renunciation. Sainthood is a broad definition. Note that this is quite different from the sainthood conferred by the Christian Church.

Note also that miracles are a spontaneous thing. When dimension changes, many things just happen around you. This is not a big deal in that plane of operation. You can appear and disappear in various places. It all happens spontaneously. The action is according to necessity.

Then there are the avadhootas, very high and powerful Masters, completely unaware of their bodies, not knowing if they have eaten food, or if they have slept. They are in supreme bliss all of the time, connected to the Source, in God-consciousness 24/7. They have the ability to transform people with a mere look. Examples include Bhagavan Nityananda and Shirdi Sai Baba, who took bodies for the sake of the people.

However the position of Bhagavaan (like Bhagavaan Satya Sai Baba, or Bhagavaan Ramana Maharishi) requires the fulfilment of certain criteria. A Bhagavaan is self-illuminated. He is self-sufficient, with no need to source knowledge from outside. Knowledge comes from inside. He is unbound by any earthly material. He is not controlled by elements. He has transcended all requirements of human existence, and the duration is finite and chosen.